TIGHT METAL PRO

Since introducing the popular TightMetal™ distortion pedal in 2011, Amptweaker™ has received many requests for a two button version. Unlike most distortion pedals with boost, the TightMetal Pro includes 2 Boost knobs, one before and one after the distortion.....so it’s easy to boost the gain AND volume, for the perfect solo tone. There’s also a Midboost button that works with the output Boost knob, to help solos cut through the mix. We also polled many customers who didn’t like the TightMetal, to find out what tone changes could be offered to reign in those other metal tones. The result is the Smooth Edge switch which cuts the high end sizzle for a warmer edge, and 2 Fat switches allow either the normal or Boosted tones to have a thicker attack with a bit more compression. There's also a High Gain switch to select between Vintage sounding metal or heavier modern metal gain. The added three band EQ allows for much tonal variation, with its Thrash button for more traditional deeper scooped mids. Our standard noise gate from the original TightMetal is also included, with the hard stopping Chomp setting to help keep the rhythm as tight as possible.....especially when doing very quick riffs with a lot of palm-muted stops. Internal adjustments allow for tweaking the gate. Amptweaker pedals are known for effects loops, and this one has 3: a universal loop, another active with the boost, and our popular SideTrak loop which activates when the pedal is OFF, to automatically shut off clean effects. Standard Amptweaker features: LED illumination of controls, 14 gauge steel housing and true bypass switching.

Dual Lit Boost controls via Boost footswitch

3 Band EQ, w/ Smooth Edge sw. and Thrash sw.

3 effects loops....Universal, Boost with Pre/Post switches, and the SideTrak loop that works when the pedal is OFF! Patch in clean effects

TIGHT METAL

The new TightMetal™ distortion pedal takes the TightDrive™ and TightBoost™ overdrive platform to the next level by providing over-the-top metal and hardcore crunch tones with adjustable tightness thanks to the Tight control. This issue came up early on when discussing various ideas with Mark Kloeppel, guitarist from the deathgrind band Misery Index. Like many other metal players, Mark was looking for a particular guitar tone, one with a lot of harmonics but with the ability to stop the notes really fast to work with their music. As on the original TightDrive, the Tight control varies the low end from smooth and thick to tight and aggressive so you get the attack that works with your guitar and picking style.In the same way high gain tube amps are designed by cascading extra tube stages, the TightMetal was created by adding additional stages in front of a carefully modified TightDrive. The resulting thicker and much heavier distortion is tweaked by a simple built-in output EQ curve, and can further be adjusted by the output Tone control, so it’s easy to get a stack sound even through a small combo amp’s clean channel. After discussing some other consumer suggested ideas with Mark, a couple of switches were added to help customize the tone and help the playability. A Mid switch helps get a more traditional metal rhythm sound with its Thrash setting which gives a deeper scooped mid tone. To help stop the notes even quicker, a Noise Gate switch with an ultra quiet, quick decaying Chomp setting really helps a lot....especially when doing very quick riffs with a lot of palm-muted stops, so the whole band sounds even tighter. At January NAMM '11, various metal players made suggestions about adjustments to the gate, and the result was a redesign to include an automatic gate threshold that tracks the gain control......this keeps the Chomp setting appropriately hard, and backs off on that setting as the gain is reduced.All other features from the TightDrive remain intact, including the Effects Loop with its Pre/Post switch, the LED illumination of the controls, and the Battery On/Off switch and magnetic battery access door.

True Bypass switch

Tight Attack Control

Gain, Tone, & Volume Controls

Gate switch with Chomp™ setting for quick stops

Mid switch with Thrash setting

Effects Loop with Pre/Post switch..tracks On/Off Footswitch

LED lit knobs when using a power supply

Battery disconnect switch with red indicator

Current: 12mA with 9V battery, 28mA with 9V adapter

Works with 9V-18V supplies–like 'variacing' your amp up and down

DC Adapter jack, standard 2.1mm X 5.5mm, center ground(-)

Magnetic Battery access door opens w/o tools

Handmade in the USA

BIG ROCK PRO

Developed while designing the FatRock 'tweaked' version of the TightRock, the BigRock Pro has a Smooth Edge switch which cuts the high end sizzle for a warmer edge, and 2 Fat switches for either the normal or Boosted tones to have a thicker attack with a bit more compression, like the FatRock pedal. There's also a High Gain switch to select between Vintage sounding blues rock or heavier modern rock gain. The added three band EQ allows for much tonal variation, with its PlexEQ button for more traditional stack tone.Our standard noise gate from the original TightRock is also included, with 2 separate internal adjustments to help tweak the feel of the gate. Amptweaker pedals are known for effects loops, and this one has 3: a universal loop, another active with the boost, and our popular SideTrak loop which activates when the pedal is OFF, to automatically shut off clean effects. It can be used to add a compressor, chorus or chain of effects that only works when you play clean, or to switch to another distortion pedal to use for an alternate rhythm sound...all without having to hit more than one switch....it’s like having a built-in A/B box. A green LED alternates with the normal red one to indicate that the loop is active when the pedal is bypassed.Another cool SideTrak trick is that if you only plug in the SideTrak Send, and don't plug in the Return, then that Sent dry signal can be sent to another amp.....meaning you could have the BigRock Pro going through a 412 halfstack while sending the clean tone to a Twin or some other clean amp. All this ability comes from two simple jacks on the side of the pedal!Standard Amptweaker features: LED illumination of controls, 14 gauge steel housing and true bypass switching.

Dual Lit Boost controls via Boost footswitch

3 Band EQ, w/ Smooth Edge sw. and PlexEQ sw.

3 effects loops....Universal, Boost with Pre/Post switches, and the SideTrak loop that works when the pedal is OFF! Patch in clean effects

Gain, Tight & Volume Controls

High Gain switch for heavier tones, off for more vintage blues rock tones

Noise Gate switch, with internal adjustment, tracks gain

Added adjustable internal input noise gate for even more gating

Mid switch with PlexEQ setting

Mid Boost switch tweaks Boost to punch through

Internal Fat switches for warmer Rhythm and/or Boost tones

Can be used as a preamp, or into a clean channel

LED lit knobs when using a power supply

Battery disconnect switch with red indicator

Runs on 9V-18V batteries or supplies–like 'variacing' your amp up and down, or similar to 50W versus 100W tone

FAT ROCK

Since its introduction, the TightRock has been very popular, but as usual Amptweaker received many requests for a variation.....the new FatRock is the culmination of discussions on online forums, from players who wanted a warmer version that worked better with brighter guitars and amps. All features are identical to the TightRock, but the tone has been tweaked to extend the low range of the Tight and Tone controls, add a fixed Fat boost at the frontend for a slightly less aggressive attack, knocking the edge down, and boosting the lowend in the output EQ.The EQ switch converts the tone from the TightDrive EQ to a new PlexEQ which gives the pedal the classic vintage stack tones....a little less mids, and the classic 412 bottom, but this FatRock version doesn't add as much sizzle as the TightRock PlexEQ does. The Gain Boost switch modifies the gain from a classic distortion sound to a very modern amount of gain, but doesn't color the sound of your amp as much as the TightMetal. With the Gain Boost and EQ turned off the pedal can be used as a fat overdrive for an already distorted amp or pedal, without changing the character very much. The TightRock noise gate has also been retweaked to make it smoother, and to sound better with the reduced highs of the FatRock to allow it to work better for solos. A new cool Amptweaker feature is the SideTrak™ effects loop.Several consumer requests led to this extra effects loop that turns OFF when the pedal is ON. Since the FatRock makes such a good ‘solo’ pedal, it’s the perfect pedal to include this unique idea.Another cool SideTrak trick is that if you only plug in the SideTrak Send, and don't plug in the Return, then that Sent dry signal can be sent to another amp.....meaning you could have the FatRock going through a 412 halfstack while sending the clean tone to a Twin or some other clean amp. All this ability comes from two simple jacks on the side of the pedal!All other features from the TightRock remain intact, including the Effects Loop with its Pre/Post switch, the LED illumination of the controls, and the Battery On/Off switch and magnetic battery access door. The rear effects loop send can also be used as a clean guitar send for re-amping in the studio if switched to Pre.

True Bypass switch

Tight Attack Control

Gain, Tone, & Volume Controls

Noise Gate with auto threshold based on gain

EQ switch with PlexEQ setting

Gain Boost switch

EFX Loop with Pre/Post switch..tracks On/Off Ftsw

SideTrak™ EFX loop that works when pedal is bypassed!

LED lit knobs when using a power supply

Battery disconnect switch with red indicator

Current: 12mA with 9V battery, 28mA with 9V adapter

Works with 9V-18V supplies–like 'variacing' your amp up and down

DC Adapter jack, standard 2.1mm X 5.5mm, center ground(-)

Magnetic Battery access door opens w/o tools

Handmade in the USA

TIGHT ROCK

The new TightRock™ Distortion pedal bridges the gap between two very popular Amptweaker™ pedals, the TightMetal™ and TightDrive™. Its tone is not quite as heavy sounding as the TightMetal, but the gain range is much higher than the TightDrive. The pedal includes EQ and Gain Boost switches, and has a built-in noise gate that automatically tracks the gain control. The Tight control, a mainstay of Amptweaker pedals, varies the pick attack from smooth and thick to tight and aggressive so you get the attack that works with your guitar and picking style. The EQ switch converts the tone from the TightDrive EQ to a new PlexEQ which gives the pedal the classic vintage stack tones....more edge, a little less mids, and the classic 412 bottom. The Gain Boost switch modifies the gain from a classic distortion sound to a very modern amount of gain, but doesn't color the sound of your amp as much as the TightMetal. With the Gain Boost and EQ turned off the pedal can be used to overdrive an already distorted amp or pedal, without changing the character very much. The TightMetal noise gate has also been retweaked to make it smoother, to allow it to work better for solos. A new cool Amptweaker feature is the SideTrak™ effects loop.Several consumer requests led to this extra effects loop that turns OFF when the pedal is ON. Since the TightRock makes such a good ‘solo’ pedal, it’s the perfect pedal to introduce this unique idea.It can be used to add a compressor, chorus or chain of effects that only works when you play clean, or to switch to another distortion pedal to use for the rhythm sound...all without having to hit more than one switch....it’s like having a built-in A/B box. A green LED alternates with the normal red one to indicate that the loop is active when the pedal is bypassed.Another cool SideTrak trick is that if you only plug in the SideTrak Send, and don't plug in the Return, then that Sent dry signal can be sent to another amp.....meaning you could have the TightRock going through a 412 halfstack while sending the clean tone to a Twin or some other clean amp. All this ability comes from two simple jacks on the side of the pedal!All other features from the TightDrive remain intact, including the Effects Loop with its Pre/Post switch, the LED illumination of the controls, and the Battery On/Off switch and magnetic battery access door.

True Bypass switch

Tight Attack Control

Gain, Tone, & Volume Controls

Noise Gate with auto threshold based on gain

EQ switch with PlexEQ setting

Gain Boost switch

EFX Loop with Pre/Post switch..tracks On/Off Ftsw

SideTrak™ EFX loop that works when pedal is bypassed!

LED lit knobs when using a power supply

Battery disconnect switch with red indicator

Current: 12mA with 9V battery, 28mA with 9V adapter

Works with 9V-18V supplies–like 'variacing' your amp up and down

DC Adapter jack, standard 2.1mm X 5.5mm, center ground(-)

Magnetic Battery access door opens w/o tools

Handmade in the USA

TIGHT FUZZ

The new TightFuzz was requested by Amptweaker™ players, and this one will certainly add some vintage tone to their arsenal. While most vintage fuzz boxes have very few controls, the TightFuzz includes a Tone control to tame the fuzzy edges and the Tight control, a mainstay of Amptweaker pedals, which varies the pick attack from smooth and thick to tight and aggressive. This is particularly helpful for tweaking a fuzz tone, since many tend to be too flubby on the lowend. While many modern fuzz boxes have chosen to create wacky over-the-top fuzztone, the Amptweaker approach is to make something that has a lot of flexibile but usable tones. The most requested feature was the Germanium/Silicon switch, which changes the output stage from a softer, lower gain Germanium to a heavier, high gain Silicon transistor. This cool pedal also has the ability to get lower gain tones easily, with an Auto Bias that adjusts appropriately with the Fuzz control, to get the cleanest and nastiest distortions possible with one control. It also has an Edge switch with a Smooth setting to further knock the edge off, and a 60's/70's switch that transforms the pedal from tighter, lower gain 60's tones to fatter and heavier 70's tones.One of the important differences between the TightFuzz and most 'reissue' fuzz boxes is that with the addition of the Tight control in front of the fuzz circuit, the input of the fuzz circuit is effectively buffered from the guitar....but in a compensated way. A common problem with the original fuzz designs is that circuits with low output impedances like those in overdrive pedals and wah pedals, or the output of active pickups, can completely change the bias and gain structure. The result is often an odd sound or squeals, unusual feedback etc. The buffering in the TightFuzz simulates the impedance of a guitar, so that the fuzz circuit works in the normal way it's intended, and any low impedance circuit CAN be used in the loop or in front of the pedal. Standard Amptweaker features include an effects loop with Pre/Post switch to add delay or combine other distortion and EQs to further tweak your fuzztone. Other features include the LED illumination of controls, Battery On/Off switch, and magnetic battery access door. In typical Amptweaker style, we brought a special prototype with capacitor and resistor boxes hanging out to get people to help us make the final tweaks at NAMM. We adjusted the auto-biasing circuit, tweaked the Edge switch, and also chose the coolest color....a shiny silver color was the crowd favorite! It was a lot of fun for all, and I think the end result is a really cool and flexible pedal!

True Bypass switch

Fuzz control automatically adjusts bias - more range

Master Volume Control

Tight and Tone help tame the fuzz

Germanium/Silicon transistor switch for different gain and tone

60's/70's Tone switch

Edge switch smooths out the high frequency range

EFX Loop with Pre/Post switch..tracks On/Off Ftsw

LED lit knobs when using a power supply

Battery disconnect switch with red indicator

Works with a 9V battery or 9-18VDC supply

DC Adapter jack, standard 2.1mm X 5.5mm, center ground(-)

Magnetic Battery access door opens w/o tools

Dimensions 3.7"W X 5"D X 2"H

Handmade in the USA

TIGHT DRIVE

The TightDrive™ overdrive pedal is the first Amptweaker product, a gain pedal that features the TIGHT control. This tweaks the amp's attack, and when combined with the Gain, Tone, and Volume controls, a lot of different distortion sounds are possible. It has the ability to dial in varying amounts of crunch, from barely clean singing blues tones, to crunchy rhythm sounds, all the way up to seriously overdriving your tube amp for tight chunky lead solos. Whether you're using it with a clean amp or to beat up your heavy amp, this pedal has the range to handle the job....it can even reduce the gain and tighten the attack to easily convert your heavy lead tone to a chunky rhythm sound. The biggest number of Product Idea submissions received were from people looking for overdrive and/or boost pedals that could provide tight low end. This led to the Tight Control, which allows you to adjust the amp's attack, varying it from smooth and singing to chunky and aggressive attack. The Tone, Gain and Volume controls work pretty much like most other overdrive pedals. Another repeating theme heard over and over was multiple pedals....so this led to the idea of adding an effects loop to the back so you can add whatever you want to this pedal. And there's a Pre/Post button underneath the pedal so you can move that outboard effect to in front of or behind the TightDrive. When you bypass the TightDrive pedal, the other effect or effects will be bypassed as well. This feature is great if you want to further tweak the distortion tone with an EQ in front of or behind it, or to add compression, or a delay.

True Bypass switch

Tight Attack Control

Gain, Tone, & Volume Controls

Effects Loop with Pre/Post switch..tracks On/Off Footswitch

LED lit knobs when using a power supply

Battery disconnect switch with red indicator

DC Adapter jack, standard 2.1mm X 5.5mm, center ground(-)

Magnetic Battery access door opens w/o tools

14Ga. Steel chassis

Handmade in the USA

11mA current consumption(battery)

26mA current consumption(9V power supply)

Dimensions 3.75"W X 5"D X 2"H

TIGHT BOOST

The TightBoost™ version of the TightDrive overdrive pedal has less gain, more volume and provides a cleaner boost to drive your amp harder. Along with the popular Tight control, it also has a Mid boost control that gradually adds a Parked Wah tone. This makes it easy to add a controlled amount of 'vowel' tone to your boost.During the 2010 Nashville Amp Expo, local area guitarists participated in the final tweaks to select their favorite Parked Wah Frequencies, and the 2 favorites were put on a switch near the Mid control. One gives you a 'pushed forward' screaming mid similar to a Michael Schenker tone, and the other is more like the classic throaty wah tone. By also adjusting the Boost, Tight and High controls, there are a lot of different boosted overdrive tones possible. While most 'clean boost' pedals have no method for preventing unintentional distortion, the TightBoost pedal uses the same distortion methods as the TightDrive, so when driven hard it has a nice sounding, warm and tube-like breakup on its own. It's great for providing a solo boost for your amp, or to further overdrive a distortion or overdrive pedal. Many Product Idea submissions received were from people looking for overdrive and boost pedals that could provide tight low end. This led to the Tight Control, which allows you to adjust the amp's attack, varying it from smooth and singing to chunky and aggressive attack. The remaining High control tweaks the tone in the highs, and the Boost adjusts the overall boost level of the pedal. As with all Amptweaker handmade pedals, the TightBoost includes an effects loop on the back so you can add whatever you want to this pedal. And there's a Pre/Post button underneath the pedal so you can move that outboard effect to in front of or behind the TightBoost. When you bypass the TightBoost pedal, the other effect or effects will be bypassed as well. This feature is great if you want to further tweak the tone with an EQ in front of or behind it, or to add compression, delay or even another distortion pedal.